Machine for sawing staves



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROYAL E. HOUSE, OF CHOCONUT, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR SAWING STAVES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 1,284, dated August 1,2, 1839.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROYAL E. HOUSE, ofChoconut, Susquehanna county, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand use# ful machine for sawing staves longitudinally, giving them theirproper curvature transversely, for making hogsheads, barrels, tubs,pails, &c., which is described as follows, reference being had to theannexed drawings of the same, making part of this specification.

The main feature of this invention consists in arranging` and securingtwo parallel vibrating or walking beams on a horizontal shaft moving inmetallic boxes fixed on a suitable frame, which beams being graduv atedin inches and tenths of inches on the outside from the center toward theextremities, a separate scale being on each side of the shaft, and towhich beams are attached by suitable sliding clamps and screws twosegment saws, one on each side of the same, of different curvaturesdetermined by the kind of staves to be sawed and which may be changedfor other of greater or less curvatures, moving the clamps toward orfrom the center, said clampsl moving in grooves made on the inside ofthe beams to suit them and held at any required place (determined by thescales) by screws, the stave bolts being brought or fed up to the sawsby means of suitable carriages in the manner of saw mills in use, theends of the beams being moved to and fro by means of a pitman rodextending from the propelling engine of whatever kind it may be attachedloosely to a bolt passed through the lower ends of the walking beams, ina manner of a steam engine, except that the beams stand vertically whenat rest instead of horizontally. The shaft is a cylindrical piece ofmetal of suitable size having journals turned on its ends to lit theboxes in which it is intended to move, and is passed through aperturesin the walking beams near the center thereof. The walking beams are bothmade alike, except one only is graduated. Each is made tapering from thecenter toward the extrelnities and is of suit-able thickness. The lowerend is enlarged when the pin passes through to which the pitman rod isattached. It is grooved on the inside for the clamps to move in whenmoving them toward or from the center of the shaft. One of the beams isgraduated on the outside in inches and tenths of inches from the lcenter toward the extremity and side of the axle for determining thecurvatures of the staves to be sawed, as before stated. There are fourclamps all made alike. Each one consists of a casting in the shape of aknee, with a plate on the outside, between which and the outer face ofthe knee casting the end of the saw is placed, and through the plate,saw and knee casting are passed screws for clamping the saw. One side ofthe knee is placed against the edges of the walking beams, having aplate placed parallel to said side of the knee, moving in the grooves ofthe beams, with screws passing through this side of the casting, andsaid plate for screwing the clamp to the beams and suering them to bemoved toward or from the center as required by unclamping them. Thefirst mentioned plate at the back of the casting has tenons which movein the grooves of the beams.

The frame upon which the shaft with the beams and saws is suspended andvibrates is made of sufiicient size and strength. The carriages uponwhich the stave bolts are secured are made in the usual or most approvedmanner and move upon the above mentioned frame by means of suitablegearing connected to the driving power. The pitman rod for moving thewalking beams is made in the usual manner.

Figure l represents a perspective view of the beams, clamps, saws, andpitman rod; Fig. 2, the inside or grooved side of one of the walkingbeams; Fig. 3, one of the clamps, plates, and screws; Fig. 4t, theshaft; Fig. 5, one of the segment saws.

The letters of reference refer to the same part-s in the severalfigures.

the knee castings of the clamps; D, the plate between which and the kneecasting the end of the saw is clamped; E, the plate of the clamp movingin the grooves of the beams; F, the screws; G, the segment saws; H, thebolt to which the pitman rod is attached; L, the pitman rod.

Operation: The engine being put in motion vibrates the beams and causesthe saws to move in a circle' equal to that of which they are segments.A bolt is brought or fed up to each saw and advances regularly unt-ilthe saw cuts through from one end to the other. The carriages with thebolts are then run back, the bolts shifted and again advanced and othercuts made in like manner.

- 9.5" A7 the axle; B, B, he walking beams; (3,1

The pieces cut oi will be concave on the inside and convex on the outside and suitable for liogsheads7 barrels, buckets, etc., according tothe curvature of the saws. rIhe drawing represents the ends of the sawsset at N o. 7 which answers for cutting hogsliead staves. For cuttingbucket staves the ends of the saws used must be placed at No. l. In thismanner the operation is continued until the bolts are cut up, whenothers are secured on the carriages and the same operation is continued.Saws of the curvature required must be inserted in the clamps accordingto the kind of staves to be sawed, a number of which are kept on handfor that purpose.

Fig. 6 represents the beams and saws suspended at the axis and connectedto a balance wheel by a pitinan rod, the revolution of the balance wheelgiving the saws their motion; or it may be done by an eccentric motion.Fig. 7 represents the saws cutting staves curved longitudinally andtransversely. Fig. 8 represents a segment saw cutting in straight lineslongitudinally and curved transversely. Fig. 9 represents several sawsplaced concentric with each other. Fig. 10 represents the vibratingbeam, with a large saw on one side and a small oiie on the other. Fig.1l represents a hoop saw operated by a vibrating beam; Fig. l2, anotherhoop operated in like manner.

Iii giving 'to the stave a curvature longi tudinally, the carriage withthe bolt must have a movement corresponding to the curve required.

These saws can be applied to other purposes besides sawing out staves,such as sawing eaves-troughs, curved boards, etc.

I d0 not claim to be the inventor of cutting staves by means of segmentsof cylindrical saws vibrating as herein described, as suoli have beenlong known and used; but

Vhat I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent consists inn Thesliding saw clamps for changing the diameter of the saws to suit thework required and the scales on the beams to graduate the position ofthe saw clamps all as herein described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name before twowitnesses.

ROYAL E. HOUSE.

Witnesses EDWARD KIMBALL, WVM. HOUSE.

